Daemon
A Daemon is a type of creature known to exist on Equenta. They are extreme emotions given life and drive. Daemons cannot be seen by normal means, occupying a different but parallel realm, much like spirits. Classification Classes The class of a Daemon is its level of strength. There are four major classes of Daemon. Lesser Daemon, Minor Daemon, Major Daemon, and Archdaemon. Lesser Daemon A lesser is the weakest and most vulnerable type of Daemon. Usually formed by events such as heated arguments and grave misunderstandings, lessers have little effect on the real world. They might have the ability to sour milk or rust old daggers, but they do so as instinct alone, with no real intelligence guiding their actions. The average exorcist can destroy lessers with ease, however, this type of Daemon is so common most don't bother. Minor Daemon A minor is a moderately powerful Daemon. These are formed by events such as murder and acts of lust. With the intelligence level of a child, these Daemons carry out devious schemes with some level of premeditation. A minor of sorrow might, for example, kill off some of a farmers crops in a certain pattern, or steal a child's toy. More prolific minors can even cause death, though not directly. The average exorcist can destroy minors with a days work, or banish one in a few hours. Major Daemon A major is a powerful Daemon. These are formed by events such as elaborate murders or extreme betrayals. These usually have the intelligence of a grown pony, and will carry out elaborate schemes with a variety of powers. A major of paranoia might replace someones words with lies or give entire families nightmares for days at a time. These schemes often lead to someone being manipulated into reenacting the very acts that created the major in the first place. They are also capable of possession. The average exorcist can destroy majors in a matter of weeks or banish one in a few days. Archdaemon The most powerful, feared, and rare of all Daemons. These are formed by events such as genocides or the loss of a beloved ruler. With intelligence unbound, Archdaemons will terrorize small groups or entire nations with their machinations and plots, with significant power to back them up. An Archdaemon usually possesses one or more creatures to carry out their plots, or subtly nudge the masses to their bidding. They might turn a river into acid or cause multiple creatures to age quickly. The only end to these schemes is to cause as much extreme emotion as possible, so as to create more Daemons. It would take multiple talented exorcists to even attempt to banish this type of Daemon. Destroying it outright it rarely an option. Currently, there are no known Archdaemons in Equenta, or if there are, they are extremely subtle. Other Classes There are a few Daemons who defy classification. These Daemons, some say, are the most dangerous, for most exorcists are unprepared for them, sometimes even being completely unable to affect them. They might be capable of experiencing and inflicting more than one type of emotion. This makes them extremely unpredictable. Types The type of a Daemon describes the kind of emotion that drives it, and its origin. There are, in theory, as many types of Daemon as there are emotions. However, there has never been such a thing as a benevolent Daemon, so all positive emotions are excluded. These are some of the types. Anxiety A more passive type of Daemon, anxiety Daemons are born from stress. A heavily taxed ruler, scribe, or really any sort of worker create this type of Daemon. Anxiety Daemons come in the lesser classes. Boldness One of the more underestimated types, boldness Daemons are born from brashness. Anything from a scrawny pony fighting a group of armed stallions to a general charging his forces against a wall of elite troops create this kind of Daemon. Boldness Daemons are an odd case in that they sometimes cause the meek to go up against tyrants and win, though mostly they cause ponies to charge headlong into death's embrace. Boldness Daemons come in the lesser classes. Cruelty Cruelty Daemons are born from acts of atrocity. Events such as genocide, slavery, and torture create this kind of Daemon. Cruelty Daemons come in all classes. Disgust Disgust Daemons are born from revulsion. Typically events such as extreme deformity, rot, and social inequality create this kind of Daemon. Disgust Daemons come in the lesser classes most of the time. Envy Envy Daemons are born from jealousy. Typically events such as imitation, mortal worship, and petty jealousy create this type of Daemon. Envy Daemons come in lesser classes in most cases. Fear Fear Daemons are born from terror. Typically events such as haunting, extreme terror, and cowardice create this type of Daemon. Fear Daemons are common, but mostly of the lesser class. This type of Daemon gets mistaken as a restless spirit most of the time, for one aims to drive away while the other wishes to facilitate to fear. Greed Greed Daemons are born from acts of avarice. Typically events such as robbery, overt taxation, and hoarding create this type of Daemon. Greed Daemons come in every class. Lust Another common type, lust Daemons are born from sexual acts. Typically events such as adultery, rape, and incest create this type of Daemon. Lust Daemons come in every class. Mania Manic Daemons are born from excitement and overt happiness. Typically events such as carnivals (or other such celebration), drug abuse, and thrill seeking create this type of Daemon. Manic Daemons are a special case, because at first they cause joy and happiness, but seek to drive ponies to dark places to achieve such emotions. Manic Daemons come in every class. Pride Pride Daemons are born from acts of ostentatiousness. Typically events such as nationalistic parades, overt bragging, or shows of skill create this type of Daemon. Pride Daemons come in lesser classes in most cases. Shame Shame Daemons are born from dissapointment and regret. Typically events such as the disowning of a child and covering up of ones past create this type of Daemon. Shame Daemons come in lower classes. Sorrow Sorrow Daemons are born from sadness. Typically events such as the passing of a loved one or the loss of innocence create this type of Daemon. Sorrow Daemons come in every class. Wrath The most common type of Daemon, wrath types are born from anger. Typically events such as hatred, killing, and assault create a Daemon of wrath. Wrath Daemons come in every class. Counteracting Daemons There are two major ways to handle a Daemon. Hire an exorcist, or fight it with magical items. Hiring an exorcist is costly, but they're typically able to get the job done with minimal risk to themselves and others. This is because exorcists are defined by their ability to mask their presence from Daemons, and fight them slowly with various magics. Fighting it with some type of magical item is usually extremely dangerous, even when fighting low level Daemons. Typically, using magical force against a Daemon singles one out as a target, and sometimes opens one up to a variety of attacks. The best way, however, to mitigate the effects of a Daemon is to keep ones emotions in check. The less powerful Daemons can only cause a spark of emotion in a ponies mind, but that can grow into an inferno. They seek to gain power from emotional outbursts. If they are not satisfied, they usually move on. Therefore, it is a kind of preventative approach preached by exorcists to inform the masses to keep calm and balanced. This is the origin of the phrase 'A Daemon's watching you' when trying to mollify someone, or get them to cheer up. Infamous Daemons and Daemon Policy Throughout history, many disasters have been blamed on Daemons. They often act as a scapegoat in times of crises. Though usually the fault lies with the ruler, not any Daemon. Here are a few cases of confirmed Daemon influence and general policies regarding Daemons in each tribe. . Bulwark The Bulls have little understanding of Daemons, depending on a small circle of exorcists to deal with them. Unless noted, victims of Daemons are not given a reprieve from the law. *Begd Nome- Major Sorrow- Begd was created from the sorrow felt by the troops lead by Malkal the Great General when he died in battle. Begd would follow armies and sap morale, crippling Bulwark's military. Victims would hear the faint crying of a mare before beginning to weep themselves. Begd was destroyed by the Circle of Exocism. *The Red- Major Wrath- The Red was created when Badid the Unready beat his wife to death. One of the more prolific Daemons, the Red would cause beatings of all kinds. Victims would report seeing a red tint when beating their lover, their child, their servant. The Red was banished by the Circle of Exorcism. 38 victims (all imprisoned), 43 beaten, 12 killed. Cave Spite Tribe Unknown Equestria Equestria is an enigma, as far as Daemons are concerned. Never in Equestria's history, including the time of the three tribes, have these ponies suffered at the hands of a Daemonic threat. However, there is the question of the windigos... *Windigos(?)- Were the windigos Daemons? Most exorcists say no, for the windigos were actually visible. But perhaps it was a special type? No one can say for sure, not until the windigos return. Glistens Glistens has a long history with Daemons, mostly those of the cruelty type. They host a number of skilled exorcists. Depending on the victims status, they may be given a reprieve from the law. *Geen 'The Foal'- Archdaemon Cruelty- Geen was an ancient Daemon, thought to be banished from some distant land. It was attracted by the cruelty of Queen Mosa Gambit. She was known to execute slaves on a whim, and the occurrences only multiplied with Geen's presence. It was only when she began to execute citizens that the Royal Exorcist looked into the possibility of a Daemon. He was shocked to find something as powerful as Geen was the culprit. It took him and his exorcists more than half a year of constant work to finally banish it. All the while, the sound of a foals laughter would echo down the abandoned corridors of the palace. By the time it was banished, Queen Gambit lost much of her mind, acting like a spoiled toddler. Her and her entire line were executed to make room for a new bloodline, who were able to blame all previous killings on the Daemon and the old queen. 1 victim, 900~ killed . *The Vice's Father- Major Cruelty- The Vice's Father, or just the Father, was created when the artificer Albold Greatest created the wing tamer, a magical item to keep pegasi from flying away. This Daemon stayed with Albold for many years, giving him revolutionary new ways to torture and restrict slaves. The culmination of his work was the Vice. This simple magical item was a small ring put on a unicorns horn to inflict maximum pain when one tried to cast spells. It was, once placed, irremovable. He was deluded into believing this would usher in a new era of foreign slaves, unicorn slaves, the better slave. Once the guards figured out what he was up to, he had already mass produced the Vice and sent the recipe to every major artificer in Glistens. It was immediately banned, with threat of execution should one create it. That, however, didn't stop Vices to be sold in back alleys by ameteur artificers. Everyone had an enemy, and the Vice was the solution. The Royal Excorcist made quick work of the Father, but even today, the Vice is created and used. Littleleaf Tribe The Littleleaf tribe has little vice, so violent Daemons are uncommon. However, they do have a long history of defeats and losses, and so Daemons of the sorrow variety crop up every so often. They have a handful of trusted exorcists. Usually, Daemon victims are treated with empathy and forgiven for what they did while under the Daemon's influence. *Maggy- Archdaemon Sorrow- This Daemon is a prime example of what happens when a society has inadequate exorcist power. Maggy was created by the sorrow the Stormchasers caused when they killed most of the elders in a raid. After that, Maggy was like a storm constantly brooding over Effa. Ponies would just give up, stop rebuilding. The exorcists of the tribe were completely unprepared for the devastating effects of this Daemon. Production halted, crops wilted. Tribes stopped attacking the Littleleaves for they had nothing to offer in tribute. It was only after the Stormchasers realized how dependent they were on Littleleave food did they decide to remedy the problem. And so, the Stormchasers banish Maggy in what is the only charity ever offered by the tribe to any other in recent history. This almost fostered a new alliance between the two tribes, however, the Stormchasers liked the idea of raids better. Stonehoof Tribe The Stonehooves are a practical kind. As such, they try a preventative approach as far as Daemons are concerned. Preaching stoicism and balance, Daemons are less prevalent in Stonehoof society. However, this is not a fool proof method. Whenever a daemon does find its way into this society, the Stonehooves have a handful of exorcists to deal with the threat. Sometimes, they are forced to trade for exorcist service. The victims of Daemons are usually seen as weak, and are given no pardon. *The Trickster- Archdaemon Mania- The Trickster represents a shameful part of Stonehoof history. It tempted stoic ponies into a life of pleasure seeking to a point where the tribe began to fall apart. Stonehooves would leave the tribe to seek out the pleasures of city life, only to crash after being out of the influence of the Trickster for a few days. The khan of the tribe traded their services as protectors to the Swift Dogs in exchange for banishment of the Trickster. It took several exorcists two months of work to banish this Daemon. Stormchaser Tribe Perhaps the most unique of all in regards to the Daemon threat, the Stormchasers actually embraces the Daemons they create, and there's a lot of them. They use shamans to corral and control powerful Daemons, and use their powers to bolster their strength. And so, victims are actually seen as blessed. Most Daemons see the Cloudhome as a deathtrap and avoid it at all costs. This leads to the bizarre situation of Stormchaser shamans actually going to other tribes to ensnare their Daemons and take them away. *Ayjot and Rhyjot- Majors Pride and Shame- Twin Daemons, Ayjot and Rhyjot were both born of the same event. When the Stormchasers put on the Blood Parade, a week of sacrifices to celebrate Stormchaser dominance, Ayjot was born of the pride the Stormchasers felt and Rhyjot was born of the shame the Glistens, Littleleaf, and Swift Dog tribe felt for the tributes they gave to make such an event possible. On occasion, the exorcists of the Stormchasers use Ayjot to bolster morale while similtaneously sap morale of the opposing forces. *Kolotl the Enrager- Archdaemon Wrath- The only Archdaemon under Stormchaser control, Kolotl is manipulated into feeding wrath into new recruits, causing them to experience bouts of rage to prepare them for combat. Sometimes the Daemon is forced to possess one of the warriors in battle. It experiences an unending rage so fiercom several exorcists have to keep it repressed daily, lest it break free of its bonds. *Oktotl the Tormentor- Major Fear- Oktotl is used as a form of punishment to those the Stormchasers will not or cannot kill. It is a rather dynamic Daemon, with the ability to effect creatures far away in short bursts. Some say the Stormchasers have this Daemon constantly inflict fear in ponies across the centrallands, just to remind them of their presence. Swift Dog Tribe The Swift Dogs employ a number of preventative and active measures to repel Daemons. They boast a healthy community of exorcists and a variety of magical items to counter Daemonic influence. Victims are treated with care. *Bitter Beetle- Major Greed- Bitter Beetle was created when one Swift Dog citizen owned the entire set of the Ranger's Anointed Armour. It jumped from citizen to citizen, inciting greed in those who wished to own the holy armour. It was after someone was murdered that the exorcist community band together to quickly destroy Bitter Beetle. *Strong Mead- Minor Boldness- Strong Mead is only notable due to the fact that it caused Green Groove to challenge Never Mind, a lackluster chieftain, and win the title. Green would go on to incite a series of changes to Swift Dog policy that eventually inspired his son, Best Hoof, to ally with the Equestrians. Strong Mead's influence was only suspected after Green had died. Exorcists found the Daemon lingering the burial grounds and, using their insight, discovered the truth to Green's rise to power.